


Death Is More Complicated Than You think

by kuv28



Series: MFS Shorts [2]
Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Suicidal Thoughts, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25156519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuv28/pseuds/kuv28
Summary: What if Raelle successfully makes it to the lighthouse, albeit still worse for wear? Will the person she loves be waiting for her like she hopes, or is something else lurking in the shadows?***An alternate ending of Episode 6: Up is Down.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Series: MFS Shorts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809277
Comments: 13
Kudos: 26





	Death Is More Complicated Than You think

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I hope everyone is doing alright. 
> 
> This is another one of my short stories before the longer ones come around. I cannot wait to get those started! Thank you for the interest and support.

Fresh tears ran down the sides of Raelle’s face as she trudged along the walls of the necro learning facility. 

_She can’t be dead. Izadora has to be wrong._

_Scylla isn’t dead._

The blonde witch closed her eyes and kept repeating the mantra in her head, as if saying it over and over again would make her lover appear out of thin air.

  
  


_Scylla isn’t dead._

_Scylla isn’t dead._

_Scylla isn’t dead!_

  
  


But as her eyes reopened, the only person in the narrow dark-lit hallway was her and her alone.

  
  


The pain in her chest was immeasurable, taking all of her strength just to stand upright as she navigated through the underground facility.

Raelle recalled the way the necro teacher was steadfast about Scylla’s fate. She saw no fault in the older woman’s eyes and believed that _Izadora_ believed in what she said. 

After all, what could the instructor possibly achieve by lying to her?

_No, stop it_ , she shook her head trying to steer her wandering thoughts from going astray.

Whether or not Izadora was telling the truth during her divulgence into Scylla’s whereabouts, Raelle knew it couldn’t possibly be true. 

  
  


_Scylla is alive._ _She **promised** we would go to the beach together..._

  
  


The thought suddenly put her head’s gears into motion.

There was no confirmation of a body and when she had asked about it, both Izadora and Anacostia failed to provide any adequate answers.

This small tether gave her some hope to cling onto and she grasped it tightly.

So as she exited the facility, she looked up into the midday sky with her tears now brushed away from her face.

One could find the eyes of a girl no longer on the verge of an emotional collapse, but one who was calm, collected, and most of all, determined to find out the truth.

  
  


_Whatever it takes._

  
  


***

  
  


Surely they would forgive her for another transgression against the Bellweather Unit.

Raelle now stood at the edge of the _Karl Foerster_ grass fields, just outside the Blasters’ storm training area.

In her hand was a significant pile of government-issued salva, consisting of her own supply and the rest taken from her unit.

_They’ll understand,_ she thought, but then reconsidered the statement and her plan altogether. 

_Well, Tally would probably understand knowing her. Abigail might on a really good day, but if High Atlantic was out to play, there was no chance in hell._

_Screw it._ _It’s not like I’ve failed them before, and especially with what’s at stake?_

She would go to any lengths when it came to Scylla, including betraying her unit’s trust. 

The brunette meant everything to her; Scylla had given her a purpose and something to look forward to every single day. She filled the emotional void inside and without her, life would be entirely meaningless. The blonde would most likely be on the frontlines as War Meat of her own free will if it wasn’t for Scylla. 

So she raised her arm to the base of her neck; she was about to apply the salva, her hand only a millimeter away from her skin when suddenly…

She felt a pulse on her other hand. 

Raelle gazed down to observe the scrawled ‘S’ on her palm. There wasn’t any pain at the unexpected feeling, but rather a light palpitation. 

She studied her hand for a few moments before the pulsing faded and it was at that moment, she knew...

_Scylla’s alive. This has to be a sign! Right?_

Her previous reservations about going through with the plan at the disappointment of her unit and potential repercussions immediately disappeared. 

There was no time to waste. 

She applied the salva, gradually feeling the effects of the ancient drug as the large dose kicked into her system.

Feeling the surge of energy coursing through her body, she lifted herself off the ground, heading in the direction of the one place Scylla felt she was most safe.

  
  


***

Raelle had traveled a fair distance when she could feel the effects of the salva waning. 

_Shit, not now. Not when I’m so close!_

The descent was choppy but fortunately, she touched down on a soft sandy beach without major injury, falling onto her hands and knees.

The one-hour flight on salva appeared to be too taxing on her body judging by her labored breath and profuse sweat that started from the sides of her head, slowly trailing down her neck.

She was lightheaded and quickly stood up, the motion proving to be a huge mistake as her stomach lurched and Raelle found herself expelling its contents onto the sand.

She lay on her side and stared blankly at the water, the nausea eventually dwindling. She capitalized on the gentle ocean sea breeze as the waves encroached the beach, taking several minutes to calm her racing heartbeat before returning her sights on the goal ahead.

She struggled to walk, but eventually found her footing as she entered a forest landscape; it wasn’t long before she finally spotted the lighthouse after breaking free from the brush.

The structure stood tall on a rocky hilltop by the edge of a crescent-shaped shore. 

She took in her surroundings, quickly appreciating the serene atmosphere; the sun was setting, its orange hues and subdued golden rays parallel with the ocean offering a picturesque scene in front of her.

_No wonder Scylla felt at peace here. It’s beautiful._

The sun was setting faster than she would have liked, but she figured she would come back with Scylla to admire the view… 

  
  


_Together_.

  
  


She clambered up the hill, now face to face with the impressive tower; Raelle could have sworn the lighthouse was not as intimidating from a distance but nevertheless, she took one step towards the entrance and entered.

***

Raelle ascended the metal spiral staircase. Despite her slow and steady pace, each footstep against the cast-iron steps echoed loudly throughout the entire interior.

Each level had a small window for lighting but with night already descending, darkness settled in and made it difficult for the witch to see in front of her.

The lighthouse was old, probably abandoned based on the deteriorating walls and lack of functioning light fixtures. She placed her hand along the stone bricks, using it as a guide towards the top of the tower.

Much to her relief, she eventually reached the highest level and with it, a door that led into the lantern room.

_This is it_ , she thought. Her hand went for the door handle but suddenly paused.

_What if she’s not in there?_

_Don’t think like that,_ she mentally chided herself. _She’s inside waiting for you._

She steeled herself, before finally ripping the door open.

***

There was a loud groan as the metal frame shuttered, as if the door hadn’t been opened in ages.

Plumes of dust swirled around her as she entered the lantern room; a small table with odds and ends sat to one side. Small rays of light filtered through the storm panes as she oriented herself in the small chamber. In the center of it all was a massive lens, still standing through the test of time after all these years of lacking maintenance and use.

She frantically looked around, searching for Scylla only to find herself all alone once again. She circled the optical section before stopping at the table, hoping there was some proof of life. 

_Maybe she just left. She’ll be back any moment,_ she tried to convince herself but to her dismay, there was only a broken oil lamp and an empty liquor bottle oddly still corked. Otherwise, the room was barren and left untouched except for her footprints on the dust-covered floor.

“This can’t be it,” she shook her head in denial. “She can’t be dead!”

In frustration, she took the ends of the table and overturned it, colliding with a couple of the storm panes and breaking them wide open.

What she failed to notice was the corked wine bottle as it crashed against the floor, glass shattering in all directions as a howling wind whistled across the room.

Alarmed, she immediately drew back.

_Shit, a spree curse device?!_

Raelle crouched in a defensive stance, reaching for her holster only to realize she left had her _scourge_ in her locker.

She waited for her unavoidable end by the impending curse she seemingly released, but was met with silence as more wind came through the exposed storm panes.

She let out a sigh of relief.

“Just a false alarm - “

She jumped out of her skin as a sharp knocking sound came from behind her. 

Raelle immediately spun around. There was another door, leading out to an observation catwalk. 

“Scylla?”

The knocking continued as she approached slowly.

“Scylla?!”

She ran to the door and opened it, moonlight subsequently pouring into the lantern room. Another strong gust came at her, her blonde hair flowing in tandem with the wind.

At the edge of the short catwalk was a safety rail.

Scylla was nowhere in sight as her eyes swept the platform, but instead found herself staring into the beady eyes of a jet-black raven.

The bird cautiously stared back, meticulously observing her as if appraising the blonde-haired witch. No sooner had the interaction begun, it immediately ended.

The raven suddenly cawed angrily at her, flapping its wings violently before flying off towards the ocean, becoming no more than a black speck in the dark abyss.

“Strange,” she dismissed the encounter and moved onto the more pressing matter at hand that she had put off to the side.

Scylla was gone.

The very person that grounded her to reality was no longer a part of this world. Surely this had to be a confirmation; where else could the brunette be other than swept up by the storm?

Goddess, what would she do now?

She slumped forward against the safety rail, arms crossed.

Everything suddenly felt gray and pointless. If Scylla wasn’t in her life, what else could she live for? 

Her country? The same one that enslaves witches to a life of servitude?

General Alder? The cause of all of this conflict in the first place?

The two girls in her unit, one of whom detests her? 

_Not a chance. I might as well end it here if it means my only other option is heading to the frontlines._

The blonde gazed down below. The drop from where she stood wasn’t ideal, but it would do the job.

She gripped the railing tightly, but then released her hold as she barked out an incredulous laugh.

“What am I doing?” She shook her head as tears began to stream down her face. She gazed at the full moon that was now reaching its peak, searching for any sort of guidance.

"Please, what am I supposed to do?" She pleaded, but as expected, no one answered her call.

***Crunch***

  
  


She whipped her head around at the sound of glass crunching against the floor. She tried to look into what should have been an empty lantern room but from the outside, it was hard to pick out anything. 

She vigilantly moved closer to investigate the noise before immediately stopping in her tracks.

Out of the shadows, a hooded figure emerged from the periphery of her vision.

It was a woman, Raelle soon distinguished as the woman's outline was accentuated in the moonlight.

She noticed the other woman's hands making a go for their head.

“Don’t move!” Raelle screamed, attempting to impose a threatening aura with little success.

The stranger didn’t listen as she eventually unveiled her hood.

A bob of familiar blonde hair escaped the clothed cover, promptly resting against the woman's shoulders. It was the very same hair belonging to a woman she hadn’t seen in over a year, the same one she thought was dead.

Raelle stood rooted to the floor, utterly speechless as she quietly took in the woman in front of her who spoke first.

"Hi, Raelle."

Raelle choked out a sob, remembering the voice that would soothe her in bed when she was a child, the same voice that she didn't think she would ever hear again in this lifetime.

  
  
“M- Mom?”

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I think at this point in the story, Raelle would have gone with her mother no questions asked as nothing was strongly tying her down at Fort Salem. Any different thoughts on how that conversation could play out?
> 
> Thanks for reading and until next time.


End file.
